The Love in the Funeral
by gocubsgo17
Summary: Contains spoilers for S6. Full Summary inside. BandB go back to Burtonsville for Mr. Buxley's funeral. Booth tags along to comfort her and Brennan reveals some interesting information.


**Full description: Six months after Booth and Brennan return from their sabbaticals, Brennan's only childhood friend, Mr. Buxley, dies. After Booth convinces Brennan to go, he tags along to comfort her, leaving his girlfriend behind. Brennan, despite being adamant that she can't change, opens up to Booth and reveals to him a revelation that occurred to her during her time in Maluku.**

**A/N: I apologize I haven't updated ****Love on the Inside**** this weekend. I'm going to confess, I've been working on this all weekend and I didn't write anything for it. So I'll update that one soon hopefully. **

**Just another warning: THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS for season six and what I hope happens…but…the way Hart talks about B&B's future…I doubt it**

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* * *

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_**Six months after their reunion**_

"Hey, Bones! Caroline needs that copy of that Sandborne report," Booth called as he strutted into her office. She was perched at her computer, staring at the screen. She didn't move, didn't flinch at his noisy entrance.

"Bones? Hey! Snap out of it?"

Booth walked up behind her chair and leaned over, looking at what she was seeing on the screen. She was reading the Burtonsville Daily Post, the newspaper from her hometown. She had scrolled half way down the page to the small obituary section. Ray Buxley, the high school's janitor and the only friend she had in high school, had died.

"Bones…Hey, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

She seemed to awaken from her trance and spun her desk chair around. Her eyes were slightly swollen and the trails the tears left on her cheeks were still fresh.

"Yes. I'll be fine. I'm not sure why I decided to read the Burtonsville Post today but I'm glad I learned of his passing. It seems as if Mr. Buxley was all alone in the end. He was a good man. He did not deserve to be alone."

"No, Bones, I'm sure he didn't. Are you going to go to his funeral?"

She shook her head. "No, it would be an unwise decision. We have several cases and I have a new set of interns to teach."

Booth sighed and walked over to her couch. "Bones, I think you should go. I'll go with you, if you don't want to go alone."

She stood up and straightened herself out. Reaching for her lab coat, Bones said, "I don't think Jessica would like that, Booth. I don't want to make her jealous."

"Bones, Jessie doesn't get jealous. She just envies the amount of time you get to spend with me. She used to spend a lot of time with me when we were in Afghanistan and now that we're home and back to our normal jobs, we don't see each other as often."

Since they had both returned from their year apart, things between the partners had taken a toll for the worse, but neither knew what exactly had happened. Brennan had pushed Daisy away, done everything she could to get rid of what reminded her of D.C., even if that meant assigning Daisy to spend a majority of the dig repairing their tents and shoveling out the outhouses rather than using her talents on the discovery. When Brennan had secluded herself from her D.C. life, she realized that her life there was exactly what she needed. She longed to go home early but she couldn't find a suitable replacement. She realized only three months into her trip that she had left for all the wrong reasons. She had left to find what she had already found in D.C. She hadn't needed to leave. On a rainy September night in the Maluku Islands, she received a video conference call from Booth in Afghanistan.

"_Bones! Wow, how've you been? You look good! Well, sort of. Have you been eating?"_

"_Of course, I have. Are you staying safe like you promised?"_

"_I'm doing my best, Bones. Hey, come here, come here," he waved to someone off screen. A woman with a curly brown pony tail bounced into view. She wore a flak jacket similar to Booth's but her camouflage was all wrong. She had green eyes and a dark tan from the desert sun._

"_Bones, this is Jessica Wilton. She works the Washington Post and she's embedded with my unit for a while. Jessie, that's Bones!"_

"_Hello, Dr. Brennan, I've heard only wonderful things about you," Jessie said._

"_This is the first time I've heard anything about you," Brennan commented._

"_Bones!"_

"_Seeley, It's fine," Jessie laughed, "Of course it's the first time she's heard anything about me."_

"_She calls you Seeley?"_

"_Bones, you're really the only one that I hang out with on a regular basis that calls me Booth."_

"_Well you're the only one who calls me Bones. Plus, I thought you didn't like your name."_

"_When did I say that? I like my name just fine. And I'm the only one who calls you Bones because you don't let anyone else call you that!"_

"_Is it like this all the time with you two?" Jessie cut in. Neither answered._

"_What's all that noise, Bones?"_

_Brennan looked around her tent, the walls flapping and shuttering against the wind and rain. "We are experiencing a torrential rainstorm here. I could lose satellite signal at anytime."_

"_Okay, well, Bones, we'll let you go, I just wanted you to meet Jessie. I'll talk to soon, okay, Bones?"_

"_Yes. Please be safe, Booth. It was nice to meet you, Jessica."_

"_You too, Dr. Bre-ˮ The call was dropped as the rain fell harder._

"I doubt I'll be attending Mr. Buxley's funeral, Booth. What did you say you were here for?"

"That report for Caroline. Bones, you have to go! I'll go with you. That's something you shouldn't have to go through alone."

"Jessica."

"Don't you worry about Jessie. I'm going take care of that. She'll understand. You need to go that funeral, Bones."

"Hello, Jessica."

"Hi, Temperance. I hope I'm not…interrupting anything."

Booth leapt to his feet. "Hey! Babe, what are you doing here?" He made his way over to his girlfriend and kissed her. Brennan looked away from the scene, uncomfortable of what she was feeling.

"You told me to meet you at the Hoover for lunch but they said you were over here."

"Jess, I'm sorry! Okay, uh, Bones, you got that report?"

"I can have it for you after lunch."

"Bones! Caroline needs it now!"

Brennan pushed her way through the couple and started walking toward the platform. "I'm sorry, Booth, but I have work to do. I'll have to finish it over my lunch break."

It was an obvious dismissal. Booth watched Brennan walked away and only moved when Jessie interrupted his thoughts.

"Seeley, I'm hungry. Are we going to the diner for lunch? I want cheese fries really bad!"

Booth chuckled a bit. "Alright, let's get you those cheese fries," he said, placing a hand on the small of her back and guiding her out of the Jeffersonian.

* * *

"Agent Booth! It's lovely to see you back! Where's Dr. Brennan?"

"Hey, Mary Ellen. Bones is back at the lab. This is my girlfriend, Jessie. Jessie, this is Mary Ellen. She knows my orders better than anyone."

"Well, I would hope so," Mary Ellen said, "Apart from the past year, you and Dr. Brennan were in here almost every day! I think I already know what you want, Agent Booth. Is there anything I can get you, Jessie?"

"What do you have, Seeley?"

"Cheeseburger and fries," the agent and waitress answered.

"I'll have the same, but can I have cheese on the fries?"

"Of course, dear. I'll go put your orders in," Mary Ellen said as she walked away.

"You know," Booth said, a wicked grin covering his face, "I think Parker likes you."

"I hope so!" Jessica cried, "Wait, he likes me or he _likes _me?"

"He _likes _you," Booth told her, teasingly.

"I doubt your son has a crush on me. I'm _way _too And I mean, he knows I'm your girlfriend!"

"That's not going to stop him."

"I hope that doesn't run in the family!"

"Never. It doesn't. Neither one of us are like that," he assured her, being both serious and playful.

"Seeley, can I ask you a question?" Jessie said, changing the subject. Booth nodded. "What were you and Temperance talking about when I showed up at her office?"

Booth sighed. He hadn't told Jessie much about Bones' past, since that wasn't his story to tell.

"Bones…she wasn't the most popular kid in high school. She didn't have a lot of friends. She only had one friend actually, the janitor, Mr. Buxley. She found his obituary today and she's pretty torn up about it. She won't talk about it but I think she needs to go."

Jessie nodded. "And you want to go with her?"

"Well…only to help her. They made fun of her a lot all those years ago and even when we went back for a case a little over a year ago, she was still getting crap from her former classmates. It'll just be hard on her and I know she just needs a friend," Booth explained, emphasizing the last word.

Jessie looked at her boyfriend lovingly and reached across the table to take his hand. "You're a wonderful friend, Seeley. She's so lucky to have such a great friend. And I'm so lucky to have such a great guy."

* * *

Booth strode back into the lab with a pep in his step, gliding toward the forensic platform where Bones was hunched over a set of remains. "Bones! Where's that report?"

Wordlessly, she pointed with a latex covered hand to an empty exam table. A file sat there, waiting for someone to take it.

"Thanks, Bones. Whatcha workin' on?"

"A set of remains from Limbo. Do we have a case?"

"No. Did you decide if you're going to Buxley's funeral?"

She stood from the remains and gave him a pointed look. "I have already told you, Booth. I will be unable to attend any memorial services that will be held for Mr. Buxley."

Booth sighed and began to pace. "Bones…do you want to go? Or are you just saying you can't go?"

"I am unable to detect a difference in the questions you've asked."

"Are you saying you can't go because of your work load that could be put off a few more days or are you saying you don't want to go?"

"What? Of course I want to go. He was my friend!"

"Then you should go."

Bones turned back to the skeleton on the exam table. "Booth…I don't think my presence there would be a welcome one."

"Why not? Buxley loved you!"

"Everyone in Burtonsville hated me. I was Morticia. I was the 'weird girl'. I'm not in the mood to be ridiculed again! Don't you remember the reunion? I know we were sort of undercover but they…they were so cruel!" the mention of harassment by her classmates slowly bringing tears to her eyes.

"Bones, I'll go with you. Jessie's okay with it. She understands. She knows you're going to need a friend."

She nodded, pulled the gloves from her hands and tossed them in the trash as she walked of the platform.

"Bones, where are you going?" Booth followed her. He had noticed since they had returned from their trips that she had always avoided him when something threatened them with being alone together for an extended amount of time. "Bones, don't you want me to come with?"

He followed her into her office where she collapsed on the couch, looking as exhausted as ever.

"I…" She reflected on her newly discovered feelings, however too late, for Booth and decided now would be the worst time, if ever, to tell him. She knew she couldn't keep this secret from him forever and she knew she didn't want to. But he was finally happy with Jessica and Brennan honestly liked her. Jessica took things Brennan said with a grain of salt at times, ignoring her unintentional rude comments and would kindly help her understand difficult idioms and phrases Brennan still did not understand. "I would like it if you came back to Burtonsville with me, Booth. Are you sure Jessica is alright with the arrangement?"

"Bones, Jessie understands that you're a big part of my life. You're my best friend, Bones. Jessie didn't exactly like it at first but once she got to know you, she really likes you. She trusts you and she's fine with me going with you to Burtonsville."

Brennan nodded. "I'll make the arrangements for us to fly out tonight if that's alright. Some of the services start tomorrow afternoon."

"Just go tell Cam what's going on and I'll let Hacker know and I'll meet you at your house after work, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you, Booth."

"Hey…" Booth stood and pulled Brennan up with him, "Bones, I'm sorry."

She nodded once again and he hugged her tight. The moment her chest was against his, she never wanted to let go. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and the beat of his heart and the heat of his skin were the two most comforting feelings right then.

Right then, things felt right. But she knew things wouldn't last.

* * *

That night, the partners unloaded at the small airfield just outside of Burtonsville and climbed into a waiting rental car.

"So are we staying at that old motel again?" Booth asked from the passenger seat. He had let her drive, as the trip was about her. And she knew that he was letting her, but she wasn't about to complain.

"No, when I called to book, I ended up getting an operator who told me they closed a few months ago. We're staying at a Bed and Breakfast. It's the only place in town we can stay."

She pulled into town and drove down the main streets like she did it every day. He watched her navigate the town, squinting away the memories of her past.

"Bones, you alright? You want me to drive?"

"No. I know exactly where this place is. We'll be there in a few minutes."

"No directions?" he questioned. It wasn't that he doubted her, he just couldn't believe that after all this time away, she could find her way around the town she swore off.

"No…I lived in this house before they turned it into a bed and breakfast."

"Huh?"

"I had foster parents who owned this house. They moved us to a smaller one so they could sell it to the couple who owns it now. It's been a bed and breakfast since I was seventeen."

They pulled up to a large farm house, complete with a barn and a couple of grain silos.

"You lived here, Bones?" Booth asked in awe. He could not picture her as a farm girl.

"Yes. My foster parents had several chores for us to do. They used to keep pigs and there was one weekend, I had saved my lunch money and went down to the thrift store and bought a pair of old moon boots. I thought they were awesome. Anyway, I wore them to clean out the sty and it started raining. The combination of pig feces and rain water can become a very sticky, goopy mess. Needless to say, and this is quite embarrassing, I don't even know why I'm telling you this, but I got stuck in the pig sty and I fell backwards out of my moon boots trying to get out. I was covered head to toe in pig feces."

Booth was failing at stifling his laughs.

"It's not funny, Booth!" she scolded behind her own laughs.

"So what happened after you got out of the poop?" he asked.

"My foster brother had to hose me down behind that barn over there. And, see that burn barrel out there? We had to burn those boots and my clothes. There was no way my foster mom was going to wash them."

They were both laughing as they walked into the house.

"Hello? Are you Dr. Brennan?" A woman approached them.

"Yes, I'm sorry we're here so late."

"Oh, it's no trouble, dear. Come on, I'll show you to your rooms."

They each had their own room but were connected by a small bathroom between them. They took their time getting settled but it was past midnight when Brennan heard a knock on the door to her bathroom. It was Booth on the other side.

"Aren't you tired?"

"Nope. Not yet."

"Don't you need to call Jessica?"

"I called her while I was changing. She was already asleep. You gonna be up for a while?"

Brennan nodded.

"Is it weird? To be back here, I mean. In your old foster home."

"Yes. But it's not as bad as I thought. This was one of the decent foster homes. Definitely not as bad as others. Your room…That was my room. I shared it with my foster sister, Sarah."

Booth smiled at her. "Bones, what's been going on? You've been acting different. I know we both left for a year for perspectives. We both needed that. But you're acting all squinty and all…not Bones. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Booth. Maluku was an eye-opening experience."

"How so?"

"We learned a lot about the new species. It is going to change histo-ˮ

"No, Bones," he interrupted, "How was it an eye-opening experience for you personally? How did it change your perspective of…your personal life? I know how it changed your academic views and academic standings."

"Well…"

Her heart rate began to pick up and she began to get nervous. She needed to tell him that she made a mistake that night outside the Hoover, that she was insanely jealous of Jessie.

"I mean, for me," Booth decided to go first, "I'm glad I went to Afghanistan. I hated it at first. But then I met Jessie. And she makes me happy. And she can give me what I want. She wants what I want…She might be it, Bones."

"Oh. Wow."

"Bones?"

"I'm…glad, Booth. I'm happy for you. What does Parker think?"

Booth smiled. "Park likes her."

Brennan offered up a small smile and sat down on the bed. "You found it, Booth. You finally found your fifty years and your family. I'm glad, Booth. You deserve that."

He sat down next to her. "Thank you, Bones. That…that means a lot."

She nodded a bit but avoided looking at him.

"What were you going to say about Maluku?"

"Uh, nothing. I don't remember. I'm going to bed though. Thank you for coming with me, Booth."

"It's what…Partners do, Bones."

* * *

"This is very upsetting. There was hardly anyone at his funeral. Poor Mr. Buxley….I can't believe more of my classmates didn't come! I expected to see more people there."

"I'm sorry, Bones. Do you want to go get some dinner or do you just want to go back to the rooms?"

"Rooms, please. I'm very tired."

Booth escorted her to her room and closed the door as he walked out behind him.

"Booth!"

He ran back to the room, worried something was wrong.

"Yeah?"

"Will you stay? I'm sorry. I'm still not used to the fact that we're staying in my old house and we're here for Mr. Buxley's funeral. This is extremely overwhelming."

She was lying on the bed, over the quilt and was moving over to make room for him. He walked to the bed and the moment he sat down, he found it extremely comfortable and ended up lying next to her.

"Booth?"

"Yeah?"

"When I was in Maluku, I began to think about the conversation we had in front of the Hoover building…"

They were both lying on their backs, several inches apart, facing the ceiling. Both were to afraid to look at each other.

"…I have come to the conclusion that I may…I may have made the wrong decision that night when it came to a relationship with you. And I now know that I am too late. I'm glad you've found a suitable mate in Jessica and I'm glad Parker is compatible with her as well."

"Bones…"

"Yes?"

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"I don't know."

He heaved a deep sigh, but still refused to look her way. "Bren…I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry you had to deal with that for so long. But…Jessie's…she's good for me, Bones."

She attempted to stifle a sob and wiped away a tear or two. "I know. I shouldn't have said anything. That was stupid. I'm sorry, Booth. I'm going to bed. Our flight is at ten tomorrow. Make sure you're up by eight."

He knew she was kicking him out but he knew this was something they needed to talk about.

"Bren," he begged, his favorite, unused nickname slipping out again, "Can we please just talk about this? Just for a few minutes?"

She shook her head and wiped the tears again. "I don't think it's a good idea right now. In the morning, maybe?"

He nodded. He could wait a few hours. "Okay. Goodnight, Bones. I hope you sleep well."

"Goodnight, Booth."

* * *

It was only four forty-seven in the morning but they had agreed on morning. Booth couldn't sleep. So he stumbled through the adjoining bathroom and into Brennan's room. She was sound asleep in her bed, or so he thought. The hard wood floor creaked and gave him away.

"Booth?"

"Bones."

"Do you want to talk now?"

"If you want to."

"Okay. We can talk now."

"Can I sit?"

She moved over to make room and he stretched out next to her instead of sitting. But instead of facing the ceiling, each faced each other, taking in the other's morning features as much as they could in the dark.

"You love me," Booth spoke first. Brennan couldn't tell whether it was a question or a statement, but she responded anyway.

"Yes, I believe this is how you describe the flow of chemicals in the brain."

Booth just nodded.

"I never really got over you. But, here's the thing, Bones: even though I'm still in love with you, I think I'm falling for Jessie."

"Oh…"

"Bones…"

"How do we work this out? How do we fix this so we're all happy?"

"Someone gets hurt in the end, Bones. No matter what."

"One of us is never going to be happy. It's like we're dooming ourselves to the same fate over and over again."

"Bones, you don't believe in fate," he reminded her.

They stared at each other in silence for what seemed like a very long time. Booth reached his hand out and placed it against her cheek. She shivered, and cried, just a bit, knowing this was as close as she might ever get to him. He was with Jessie, and adultery was against his religion no matter how right things felt with Bones.

"So, we missed our chance again, didn't we, Booth?' Bones whispered, tears falling now in a steady stream.

"Yeah, Bones. We did."

She nodded and pulled away from him. At that moment, she regretted it instantly and he hated that he couldn't pull her back.

"Bones…you should, uh, get more sleep. We have a plane to catch soon. I really am sorry, Bren. You don't deserve this."

He pressed a kiss to her hair and she squeezed her eyes closed to will away the tears. He made his way back to her old, childhood room and sat down on the bed. He stared at the doorway he just came through, wondering if she would ever be okay.

* * *

_**Two days later, Washington, D.C.**_

"Seeley! Someone's at the door!"

"Will you get it, Jessie?"

Jessie ran out of the kitchen and to Booth's front door. They had been in the middle of trying to make a pasta dish Gordon Gordon had showed Booth when the pipe below Booth's kitchen sink burst. So not only was the kitchen covered in pesto sauce from a lost fight with the blender but it was also becoming flooded quite quickly.

"Hi, Angela!"

"Jessie," Angela hardly greeted. Jessie immediately felt uneasy, Angela's hostile demeanor coming off in waves.

"Um, come in. Sorry, Seeley's kitchen sink just broke and we were trying to make some dinner. Hold on, I'll get him for you. I'm sure this is about a case or something."

Angela didn't say anything and stepped into Booth's apartment. She didn't wait for Jessie and went straight for Booth.

"Agent Booth?"

"What?" he snapped. Booth was drenched, the green pasta sauce stained his white dress shirt and there were gallons of water spewing from his kitchen sink.

Angela smirked. "Got a minute?"

Booth was shocked to see her of all people standing in his apartment. "Not now, Angela. I'm kinda busy."

"Seeley, have you tried turning the water off?" Jessie asked from behind Angela.

"The nozzle's stuck. I think it's jammed."

"Go. You go talk to Angela. Let me try."

Booth gave Jessie an odd look but was more than happy to let her have a go at fixing his kitchen sink that had given him problems since his brain tumor. Jessie dove head first under the sink and went to work, leaving Angela and Booth to talk.

"You alright, G-man? You look…gross."

"Thank you, Angela. Why are you here? Is Bones alright?"

Angela raised her eyebrows at him. "Of course. But it's interesting that the first thing you ask me about is Brennan."

"Well why else would you be here?"

"I can't…just come to hang out?" Angela tested him.

"Well, uh, sure, if you wanted. That's a little odd, since, you're married to Hodgins and you have that giant mansion and all I have is this little apartment."

"So…" Angela walked to his couch and took a seat, "You and Jessie seem to be getting pretty serious."

"Angela, can I go change? I'm covered in pesto sauce and I'm drenched."

"Sure, Studly. But we're going to talk. I have a serious question for you. And if you don't answer it here, I'm just going to show up at the Hoover tomorrow. And if you don't answer it there, I'll come to Parker's baseball game."

"I'm coaching that game!"

"I played baseball when I was a kid. I can hang out in the dugout," Angela countered, "You're not going to avoid me, Booth."

Booth walked down the hall to his bed room and began to change clothes. Just as he was in a clean, warm pair of sweats and a t shirt, he felt Jessie's soaked arms wrap around him. He spun around.

"Didja get it?" he asked hopefully.

She nodded and pulled him into a slow sensuous kiss. "You're getting wet again," she murmured. He ignored her and continued the kiss.

"Seeley, Angela's still sitting in the living room," she reminded him.

He groaned and rolled his eyes. "I gotta talk to her or she's going to keep annoying me."

"Did you two have a thing?"

"What? No!"

"Hey, I was just asking. It's okay. She's just acting like an ex."

"Nah. Angela's just acting like…Angela. Come save me from her!" he looked down at his now dirty clothes, "I gotta change again because of you!"

* * *

Eventually, Booth came back out of his bedroom in a clean Flyers shirt and jeans.

"Really, Booth, you had a quickie with your girlfriend while I'm waiting to talk to you?"

"No!" Booth cried, his voice an octave higher than normal.

"I know. You're too prude to do that."

He ignored the jab and sat in his recliner. "Why are you here, Angela?"

"Brennan is like insanely depressed. And has been ever since you two came back from that funeral in Burtonsville."

"She's grieving, Angela. The only person who was ever kind to her as a kid just died. The only person who even remotely cared about her is gone. Of course she's going to be depressed."

"No, Booth. She doesn't grieve. Remember when you were fake-dead? She almost didn't go to your funeral because she doesn't grieve! She's upset about something! She won't talk to me. What happened?"

"That's not for me to tell, Angela."

"It is, though actually. Because it has to do with you. Something happened and it's bad enough for her to down a bottle of Patron by herself. I can't even do that, Booth."

Booth sighed and ran a hand over his face. He didn't know it had affected her that bad. He had always known Brennan to be in control of her emotions and to compartmentalize anything that wasn't relevant to the task at hand.

"Angela, Bones has changed. Maybe…maybe she does grieve now," he said, unwilling to explain the situation to her.

"I don't know, Booth."

"What's going on?" Jessie asked, walking into the room, "Seeley, are you okay?"

"Yeah, uh, Bones is just, uh, depressed, I guess."

"Is Temperance okay?"

"No, she's not. And Booth won't tell me why," Angela said accusingly.

"Seeley, do you know why she's upset?"

"Yeah, but what's wrong with Bones isn't my business and it isn't anyone's business. Angela, if you want to know what's going on with Bones, you'll have to get it out of her yourself. I'm not saying anything."

"Seeley, I may not have known Temperance for that long but I can tell that Angela's over here as a last resort. You need to help her so she can help Temperance," Jessie told him as she took a seat next to Angela.

"Thank you, Jessie. I knew I liked you," Angela added.

"Fine. Fine! But this is only for Bones. When we were in Burtonsville, she said…she said she made a mistake."

"What kind of mistake?" Angela asked.

"About…us."

"She changed her mind?"

Booth nodded.

"Do you still love her?" Angela was getting all riled up and Booth instantly felt horrible for Jessie. He hadn't told her about what had happened with Brennan before they left on their sabbaticals.

"Booth!"

"Seeley?"

"I don't know. She told me she loves me and I told her I…there's Jessie and I couldn't do that to her and…Nothing happened, Jessie. I swear."

"I'm lost…"

"Wait, Booth didn't tell you?"

Jessie shook her head.

"Oh, boy, G-man, you better start explaining this one," Angela muttered. Jessie looked to him for the story. She didn't look upset, which eased Booth slightly. Booth never thought in his wildest dreams that this would happen. He had come to terms with the fact, while he was in the desert, that Bones would never love him the way he loved her. He had fallen for Jessie for the exact same reasons he had fallen for Bones. She was just as tough as the guys and she could stand her own but she had her girly side. But then there were the parts of Jessie that set her apart from Brennan, like the night in the desert she and Booth spent debating about pitchers' ERAs in the major leagues.

"Okay, Jessie, um, a month or two before Bones went to Indonesia and I went to the desert, I told Bones I thought we should give a relationship between us a chance," Booth started, but before he could go any further, he was cut off by Angela.

"Booth, you have to start before that. Jess, did he tell you about his brain tumor?"

Jessie nodded.

"After he had his surgery, Studly over here was told his brain scans showed signs of love. When he was in that coma, he dreamed he was married to Brennan. With a kid on the way! Anyway, he took _forever _to tell her that he loved her and then, when he did…" Angela gestured over to Booth, indicating for him to finish the story.

He sighed. He hated this. "When I did, she said no. So then we both left D.C., kept in touch while we were away and now we're…here."

Jessie stayed silent.

"Jess…I wanted to tell you. And I should've. I'm really sorry, babe." Booth stood and pulled Jessie to her feet as well.

"You don't need to apologize, Seeley. I'm not mad at you for anything. She didn't want to be with you so you moved on. That was obvious. Well…I guess you have to figure you whether you've really moved on or not. I'm not going to make you decide. You make your decision when you have figured out what you want. I've only known you for eighteen months but I'm…I'm just going to throw this out there: I'm pretty sure I love you. I can't stop thinking about you and it drives me crazy when I have to leave you. Parker is the greatest kid in the entire world and I absolutely love hanging out with him. I'm not telling you all of this stuff so you'll pick me. If you still love Temperance, you should be with her. I couldn't stand to be that girl who broke up a couple who was meant to be together. I'm just telling you this stuff. Just…do what you need to do for you. Don't worry about who you'll hurt in the process. I know your overprotective side is going to try to protect both Temperance and I but you need to think of yourself in this."

She kissed him fiercely, not caring that Angela was watching their every move. Jessie didn't want to pull away, but she did. She looked him over, noting the unease in his eyes.

"I'm going to head back to my place. Call me later, if you want." She kissed him once more before picking up her keys off the coffee table and walking out the door.

"Booth, don't be mad at me. You needed to know. She's in love with you and she's scared shitless. If you stay with Jessie, will you just please find some way to rationalize it to Brennan? She's gonna have her heart broken and she's going to need her best friend to tell her how to deal with it."

"Okay…and you're not going to tell her? If I don't…decide Bones is it?"

"Sweetie, you've been her best friend since…since forever, okay? You are the first person she's been able to trust since she was fifteen. She's always going to need you in her life."

"Angela, I…I gotta go. Lock the door behind you if you leave, okay?" He didn't wait for her answer. He grabbed his keys and his badge and gun, out of habit, slid his jacket on and ran out.

* * *

Booth wasn't sure how he ended up there or even why but he was sitting at the end of the bar, eyeing the pool tables.

"_If we don't work together, we can have sex…"_

Her voice all those years ago sounded still so clear, even more so when he was sitting in the same spot where she had spoken those words. They were so close. So close to having it all, not just a one-night stand. Sure, they might not be working together, but they'd have a relationship that would mean so much more. He could give her everything she never had and she could give him everything he wants without even trying.

"What'll it be?" the bartender asked.

Booth shook his head in indecision. "Uh, just a glass of whiskey. No! Actually, just a tequila shot. One, please don't let me have any more than that. I need a clear head tonight."

"Big decision to make?" the bartender questioned, engaging in conversation.

"Biggest of my life," Booth confided.

"A woman?"

Booth nodded.

"You look vaguely familiar. I know you?"

"Might. Used to come in this place all the time 'til I got the gambling under control."

"Oh, yeah. I remember you now. Hmm, always wondered where you went. Haven't seen you in a few years."

"Yeah, coming back here is…I'm trying to make that big decision."

"And this place plays a part?"

"It's where things got started. I was sitting here actually. She was sitting there," he pointed to the barstool next to him. The bartender set the shot in front of him. Booth raised the tiny glass and nodded toward the bartender. He nodded back as Booth downed the shot and gasped at the burn as it went down.

"Shit. I have to do something. I…shit."

"You don't know what you're going to do, do ya?" the bartender smirked.

"No freaking idea," Booth admitted. "I'm pretty sure I'm in love with two women. I can't be with both. How do I pick?"

He dipped his head, ran his hands through his hair and scoffed, almost as if he was laughing at himself. "I can't believe this is happening to me. I've been in love with this one woman for…jeez, probably seven years. Over a year ago, I tell her I love her and she shoots me down. I find out tonight, not only does my girlfriend love me, but the woman I've loved for seven years is depressed because I'm dating someone else. This is a big mess."

The bartender chuckled a bit. "Yeah, sounds like it. What are you gonna do?"

"I…Shit, I wish I knew."

"Another shot?" the bartend offered.

"Nah, man. Like I said, I need to keep my head clear." Booth paid the man for his drink and stood to leave. He looked around at the bar where life as he knew it ended. He thanked the bartender one last time and walked out of the bar, standing on the steps where she took his breath away. He had no idea how long he stood there thinking about her lips on his, but it was long enough that the flickering glow of the neon _POOL _sign above his head turned off. It had to be early morning but it didn't mean he was the only one up. He parked on the street just outside her apartment building, noting her kitchen lights were on.

He made his way up quickly, only stopping to say hello to her doorman. He knocked for some reason instead of using the key he had somehow come to acquire.

She opened the door and actually looked shocked to see him.

"I didn't wake ya, did I, Jess?" He knew he didn't but it was the polite gentleman coming out in him.

"No. Can't sleep. Come on, you want a beer or something?"

"Uh, yeah, thanks." He followed her into her kitchen and sat at the table while she got out the a couple of bottles. She cracked them both open and handed him one.

"You, okay, Seeley? You don't look too good."

"Thanks," he said, smiling just a bit.

"You know what I mean."

Booth nodded and took a few swigs from his beer. "Jessie, I'm sorry about earlier. That was…I should've told you about all of that."

"We already talked about that, Seeley. I understand. What's done is done. All I need to know is what's going on. Just don't leave me and Temperance waiting for days on end. She's apparently a complete wreck and if I need to move on, then I need to start as soon as possible."

"You should probably start then. I'm sorry, Jessie. I really, really am. But, Bones…she's it. She's always been it."

Jessie stood from her chair and walked to Booth. She leaned down and placed a kiss on his forehead. "She is so incredibly lucky. You are a wonderful man, Seeley Booth," she whispered, her lips lingering on his forehead, "Good luck with everything, Seeley. I hope you and Temperance…live happily ever after."

"Thanks, Jessie." He stood and pulled her into a giant bear hug, something he would've done to Brennan to mask his feelings not too long ago.

"Go get her. She's miserable," Jessie said as she pulled back from the hug. Booth nodded and tugged her key from his keychain. He held it between his two fingers as he handed it back to her but he didn't release it. She gripped the other end, the key linking the two for just a bit longer.

"Jess…Thanks. For keeping me sane over there. I don't know if I would've made it back if you wouldn't have been there to keep me from going nuts."

"You're welcome," she said softly, completely taking the key from him. "Bye, Seeley."

* * *

For the second time that night, Booth talked to a doorman before heading up to an apartment and knocked instead of using a key.

He could hear some movement inside so he knocked again.

When she finally opened the door, she looked genuinely shocked to see him.

"What? We have a case?"

"Bones, no, I just came over for a talk. Are you awake or do you want to go back to bed? I can come back in the morning?"

"Technically, it is morning, Booth. But I'm obviously awake. You should come in."

Booth walked in and plopped down on her couch.

"What did you want to talk about?"

Booth waited for her to sit down to continue. She sat closer to him than she normally would've, but it was late, and she was tired. He could smell her shampoo and it was already driving him nuts.

He didn't answer her. He didn't know how. This was it, that moment where their world was supposed to stop and everything was right.

"Bones, back in Burtonsville, did you mean what you said? About making a mistake?"

She took a deep breath, her face falling and looking incredibly depressed as soon as he brought it up. "Yes, Booth. But unfortunately, I realized that my decision was the incorrect one too late. I apologize if it made you uncomfortable. We don't have to discuss it any further if you'd like."

"No, Bones, that's not it. See, the thing is…I never moved on. I tried, obviously, I tried but Bones, I'm in love with you."

"But Booth, this is not in your nature, you are still in a committed relationship with Jessica. Not only is infidelity against your religion, but it is not in your nature. And, while I'll admit, I'm willing to partake in a committed relationship with you, I can't agree to that while you are still involved with Jessica. I actually like her, despite what you might think!"

Booth smiled at her. "Bren, I broke up with her. I couldn't come over here and tell you I love you but still be with Jessie."

"Oh," she muttered. Her eyes flickered to his lips, giving away her intentions. He saw and made the move for her, kissing her hard yet slow. She moaned quietly and that gave him plenty of motivation. She pulled him down to a laying position that was more comfortable for the both of them.

But before he gave in and completely lost control, he broke away and said, "I love you, Bren. I'll always love you."

"I love you, too, Booth."

* * *

_**Eleven months later**_

"Dr. Brennan, your ten o'clock is in your office."

"Thanks, Cam."

She had been working with a few new interns on authenticating a set of remains for a small museum in Virginia for one of their new exhibits.

"Mr. Levy, would you continue examining the lefort one fracture? Something seems off about it. I'll check in with you after my appointment."

"Of course, Dr. Brennan," the young, new intern agreed.

Brennan left the platform quickly and went to her office.

"I apologize for the wait," she stated upon entering, hanging her lab coat on the coat hooks.

"Hi, Temperance."

"Jessica! Wow, when they said the Washington Post was going to interview me, I didn't expect it to be you. Please, have a seat."

They sat opposite each other at her desk and they began talking cordially about work and generally avoiding the topic of Booth. After completing the interview questions, Brennan took Jessica on the forensic platform as part of the interview.

"Temperance, is there a reason you haven't brought up your engagement? Because, you can't expect anyone to _not _see that rock on your hand," Jessie finally said. She had been wanting to say something about since the moment she saw Brennan. Jessie didn't doubt she was engaged to Booth.

"I'm sorry, Jessica. I just…I thought it might be awkward. I…I was just trying to keep things professional."

"Enough said. It's not a big deal. It's a gorgeous ring. Congrats, by the way."

Brennan blushed and smiled. "Thank you."

"BONES! We got a case! Come on! You're gonna want to get a jump suit. FBI techs are saying over the scanner it's gross one. Oh…Jess…Hey," Booth said, bounding up the steps of the platform while simultaneously swiping his access card.

"Hi, Seeley," she said to him and then she looked to Brennan, "I should get going. Thank you for the interview. I'll email you, let you know when the article is running. It was good to see you. Congratulations, again."

"Thank you," they chorus, and Booth blushed. They watched her walk out of the lab.

"So…" he droned on.

"Case?" she reminded him.

"Oh, yeah! You know," he said as they walked down the platform steps, "there's something kinda squinty sexy about you in that jump suit."

"Squinty sexy?"

"Oh, babe, you have no idea!"

"Booth! How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that while I'm working!"

* * *

**A/N: Please drop me a line to let me know what you think! Your feedback is always appreciated!**


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